Latch mechanism.



E. L. AGKERMAN. LATCH MEGHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 29, 19M).v

992,530, Pated May 16, 1911.

STAII@ PATENT FIFIQE,

EDWARD L. ACKERIVIAN, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES E. CHAMBERLIN, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

LATCH MECHANISM.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented May 16, 1911.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, EDWARD L. ACKERMAN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Detroit, in the county of I/Vayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Latch Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates particularly to a latch mechanism for doors, and has for one of its several objects the provision of a bearing for the latch proper adapted to uniformly distribute the wear occasioned by the relative movement of the parts over a considerable area, whereby play between the parts is effectively prevented and ease of operation secured.

A further object is to form a latch mechanism that while embodying' the advantageous features referred to will be of simple and eflicient construction and capable of being manufactured at slight cost.

With these objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction of the latch mechanism; further, in the peculiar arrangement and combination of the various parts, and still further in certain details of construction as will be more fully hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings,-Figure l is a perspective view of a latch mechanism embodying my invention, with the top plate or cover proper of the casing' removed; Fig'. 2 is a detached perspective view of said cover; Fig. 3 is a vertical central longitudinal section through the latch mechanism; and Figs. A and 5 are sectional perspective views showing modified forms.

In the drawings thus briefly described, A represents the casing in its entirety, within which the various parts of the mechanism are placed. It is composed preferably of two sheet metal plates or sections, a base member as B, and a cover section C, the members being suitably connected by screws a. The base member referred to has one of its ends upturned, forming the usual face plate D, and this plate is suitably slotted, as at for the latch, and has additional slots or openings c CZ e formed therein for the purposes hereinafter set forth. The complementary member C is provided with marginal anges f g serving to space the parts,

/is anchored by means and both members are centrally apertured as at for the spindle sleeve E. The member C is further provided with forward eX- tensions a o that engage the openings c d in the face plate when the parts are assembled, properly holding the forward end of the plate in position.

F is the latch member engaging in the usual manner the slot in the face plate, and G is a yoke therefor embracing the spindle sleeve sand carrying the extensions or lugs z' j which contact with extensions Z m upon the sleeve, the parts being so arranged and proportioned that as the sleeve is rotated the latch will be properly reoiprocated upon movement of the sleeve in either direction.

H is the usual spring for the latch anchored upon the base member and having a bearing against a shoulder n, upon the latch proper.

The bearing distribute the for the latch that serves to wear is preferably in the form Of a wide flat plate, I, extending rearwardly of the face plate and in parallelism with the latch, permitting the latter to contact with and slide upon it during its reciprocation. I have here shown the bearing in its preferred form, consisting of a tongue member struck up mfrom the upper member of the casing, with its forward end free and adapted when the parts are assembled to eX- tend within the opening' e in the latch plate. As thus constructed, the bearing is rigidly held in place and in such a position that the entire retaining side of the latch will travel upon it.

It will be obvious from the foregoing description that the latch proper will be prevented-by reason of the bearing-from wearing' the casing, particularly the face plate, so as to cause play between the parts. Further, the bearing, besides distributing the wear in the desired manner, acts as a guide for the latch, preventing any tilting or twisting movement, thus insuring the proper operation of thelatchand ease of operation of the mechanism.

It will be understood that the bearing may be made in a number of different ways, but preferably for economy in construction struck fromrthe metal forming the casing'. In Fig. l the free end of the bearing' tongue of an upward eXtension J, riveted or screwed to the face plate.

In the modilication shown in Fig. 5, the cover member is provided with an upturned flange, as K, suitably secured to the face plate of the casing, and the tongue is integrally connected at its forward end to this flange. The bearing may loe constructed in various other ways, but in each instance is adapted to a'liord a wide surface that will cooperate with the latch so as to uniformly distribute the wear.

that I claim as my invention is,-

1. In a latch mechanism, the combination with a casing comprising sheet metal side plates and a slotted 'face plate of a latch, one ot said side plates being provided with a tongue struck up therefrom rearwardly ot' the face plate and having its forward edge anchored to the face plate, said tongue having a wide iiat portion spaced from said side plate and extending rearward from the slot in thelface plate in parallelism with the latch forming a bearing therefor.

2. In a latch mechanism, the combination with a casing comprising sheet metal side plates and a slotted face plate of a latch, one of said side plates being provided with a tongue struck up therefrom rearwardly of the face plate and having a wide iat portion spaced from the side plate and extending forwardly parallel with the retaining side of the latch 'forming a bearing therefor, the free end of the tongue being positioned within the slot in the face plate.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD L. ACKERMAN.

Witnesses z JAMES l?. BARRY, W. J. BELKNAP.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

